The present invention relates to cooling bedclothes, cooling seat cushions, cooling mats, cooling chairs, cooling clothing and cooling shoes, for causing ambient air to flow parallel to and in the vicinity of the body surface thereby to cool the same.
As bedclothes for cooling a body such as on a sleepless summer night, devices for directly cooling the body have been proposed such as by causing cooled air to flow into a futon and/or pillow. It has been also proposed to directly blow the thus cooled air onto the body such as from small holes provided on a futon and/or pillow.
However, obtaining cooled air requires a separate device therefor, thereby increasing cost. Further, the method to directly blow the cooled air onto the body has a higher cooling effect, but may increase the risk of damage to health.
The present invention has been carried out in view of such a technical background, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide cooling bedclothes, cooling seat cushions, cooling mats, cooling chairs, cooling clothing and cooling shoes, which provide a sufficient cooling effect with a simple structure and without health damage.
To achieve the above object, the first invention resides in a cooling underlying futon comprising: cooling flow passages formed in a substantially parallel and planar manner adjacent to that portion of the futon on an elastic member, which contacts a body of a person; an inlet for drawing air into the cooling flow passages; an outlet for discharging the air from the cooling flow passages; at least one electromotive fan provided at at least one of the inlet and outlet; and a flow connecting passage provided between the electromotive fan and the cooling flow passages; whereby the ambient air at a temperature lower than the body temperature is caused by the electromotive fan to flow through the cooling flow passages substantially parallel to the body surface so as to increase the temperature gradient between the body and the cooling flow passages in order to release the heat emitted from the body to thereby cool the body; and wherein the cooling flow passages are formed from a spacer and a sheet-like material, the sheet-like material being arranged between the spacer and the body and having a thickness of 5 mm or less; and the spacer is formed from a common member and a plurality of physically contiguous subspacers formed on the common member integrally with the same, the subspacers being configured such that the cooling flow passages have a thickness of 3 mm or more.
To achieve the above object, the second invention resides in a cooling seat cushion usable on a seat portion, the cooling seat cushion comprising: cooling flow passages formed in a substantially parallel and planar manner adjacent to that portion of the cooling seat cushion, which contacts a body of a person; an inlet for drawing air into the cooling flow passages; an outlet for discharging the air from the cooling flow passages; at least one electromotive fan provided at at least one of the inlet and outlet; a battery for energizing the electromotive fan; and a flow connecting passage provided between the electromotive fan and the cooling flow passages; whereby the ambient air at a temperature lower than the body temperature is caused by the electromotive fan to flow through the cooling flow passages substantially parallel to the body surface so as to increase the temperature gradient between the body and the cooling flow passages in order to release the heat emitted from the body to thereby cool the body; and wherein the cooling flow passages are formed from a spacer and a sheet-like material, the sheet-like material being arranged between the spacer and the body and having a thickness of 5 mm or less; and the spacer is formed from a common member and a plurality of physically contiguous subspacers formed on the common member integrally with the same, the subspacers being configured such that the cooling flow passages have a thickness of 2 mm or more.
To achieve the above object, the third invention resides in a cooling mat comprising: cooling flow passages formed in a substantially parallel and planar manner adjacent to that portion of the cooling mat, which contacts a body of a person; an inlet for drawing air into the cooling flow passages; an outlet for discharging the air from the cooling flow passages; at least one electromotive fan provided at at least one of the inlet and outlet; and a flow connecting passage provided between the electromotive fan and the cooling flow passages; whereby the ambient air at a temperature lower than the body temperature is caused by the electromotive fan to flow through the cooling flow passages substantially parallel to the body surface so as to increase the temperature gradient between the body and the cooling flow passages in order to release the heat emitted from the body to thereby cool the body; and wherein the cooling flow passages are formed from a spacer and a sheet-like material, the sheet-like material being arranged between the spacer and the body and having a thickness of 5 mm or less; and the spacer is formed from a common member and a plurality of physically contiguous subspacers formed on the common member integrally with the same, the subspacers being configured such that the cooling flow passages have a thickness of 2 mm or more.
To achieve the above object, the fourth invention resides in a cooling chair comprising: cooling flow passages formed in a substantially parallel and planar manner adjacent to that portion of a seat portion of the cooling chair, which contacts a body of a person; an inlet for drawing air into the cooling flow passages; an outlet for discharging the air from the cooling flow passages; at least one electromotive fan provided at at least one of the inlet and outlet; and a flow connecting passage provided between the electromotive fan and the cooling flow passages; whereby the ambient air at a temperature lower than the body temperature is caused by the electromotive fan to flow through the cooling flow passages substantially parallel to the body surface so as to increase the temperature gradient between the body and the cooling flow passages in order to release the heat emitted from the body to thereby cool the body; and wherein the cooling flow passages are formed from a spacer and a sheet-like material, the sheet-like material being arranged between the spacer and the body and having a thickness of 5 mm or less; and the spacer is formed from a common member and a plurality of physically contiguous subspacers formed on the common member integrally with the same, the subspacers being configured such that the cooling flow passages have a thickness of 2 mm or more.
To achieve the above object, the fifth invention resides in a piece of cooling clothing comprising: a plurality of mutually independent cooling flow passages formed in a substantially parallel and planar manner adjacent to that portion of the cooling clothing, which contacts a body of a person; an elastic material for connecting the plurality of cooling flow passage; an inlet for drawing air into the cooling flow passages; an outlet for discharging the air from the cooling flow passages; at least one electromotive fan provided at at least one of the inlet and outlet; and a battery for energizing the electromotive fan; whereby the ambient air at a temperature lower than the body temperature is caused by the electromotive fan to flow through the cooling flow passages substantially parallel to the body surface so as to increase the temperature gradient between the body and the cooling flow passages in order to release the heat emitted from the body to thereby cool the body; and wherein the cooling flow passages are formed from a spacer and a sheet-like material, the sheet-like material being arranged between the spacer and the body and having a thickness of 5 mm or less; and the spacer is formed from a common member and a plurality of physically contiguous subspacers formed on the common member integrally with the same, the subspacers being configured such that the cooling flow passages have a thickness of 2 mm or more.
To achieve the above object, the sixth invention resides in a cooling shoe comprising: cooling flow passages formed in a substantially parallel and planar manner adjacent to that portion of the cooling shoe, which contacts a foot sole of a person; an inlet for drawing air into the cooling flow passages; an outlet for discharging the air from the cooling flow passages; an electromotive fan provided at one of the inlet and outlet; a battery for energizing the electromotive fan; and a flow connecting passage provided between the electromotive fan and the cooling flow passages; whereby the ambient air at a temperature lower than the body temperature is caused by the electromotive fan to flow through the cooling flow passages substantially parallel to the foot sole so as to increase the temperature gradient between the foot sole and the cooling flow passages in order to release the heat emitted from the foot sole to thereby cool the foot sole; and wherein the cooling flow passages are formed from a spacer and a sheet-like material, the sheet-like material being arranged between the spacer and the body and having a thickness of 5 mm or less; and the spacer is formed from a common member and a plurality of physically contiguous subspacers formed on the common member integrally with the same, the subspacers being configured such that the cooling flow passages have a thickness of 2 mm or more.
To achieve the above object, the seventh invention resides in a cooling covering futon comprising: cooling flow passages formed in a substantially parallel and planar manner adjacent to that portion of the cooling covering futon, which contacts a body of a person; an inlet for drawing air into the cooling flow passages; an outlet for discharging the air from the cooling flow passages; at least one electromotive fan provided at at least one of the inlet and outlet; and a flow connecting passage provided between the electromotive fan and the cooling flow passages; whereby the ambient air at a temperature lower than the body temperature is caused by the electromotive fan to flow through the cooling flow passages substantially parallel to the body surface so as to increase the temperature gradient between the body and the cooling flow passages in order to release the heat emitted from the body to thereby cool the body, and wherein the cooling flow passages are formed from a spacer and a sheet-like material, the sheet-like material being arranged between the spacer and the body and having a thickness of 10 mm or less; and the spacer is formed from a common member and a plurality of physically contiguous subspacers formed on the common member integrally with the same, the subspacers being configured such that the cooling flow passages have a thickness of 3 mm or more.
To achieve the above object, the eighth invention resides in a cooling pillow comprising: cooling flow passages formed in a substantially parallel and planar manner adjacent to that portion of the cooling pillow, which contacts a head of a person; a cushioning member for carrying the cooling flow passage thereon; an inlet for drawing air into the cooling flow passages; an outlet for discharging the air from the cooling flow passages; at least one electromotive fan provided at at least one of the inlet and outlet; soundproof means provided for the electromotive fan; and a flow connecting passage provided between the electromotive fan and the cooling flow passages; whereby the ambient air at a temperature lower than the body temperature is caused by the electromotive fan to flow through the cooling flow passages substantially parallel to the head surface so as to increase the temperature gradient between the head and the cooling flow passages in order to release the heat emitted from the head to thereby cool the head; and wherein the cooling flow passages are formed from a spacer and a sheet-like material, the sheet-like material being arranged between the spacer and the body and having a thickness of 5 mm or less; and the spacer is formed from a common member and a plurality of physically contiguous subspacers formed on the common member integrally with the same, the subspacers being configured such that the cooling flow passages have a thickness of 2 mm or more.